As the ball dropped through the net, McCutcheon’s Kerstyn Lowery and Central Catholic’s Maggie Bobillo collided and both sophomores crashed to the floor.

For the Mavericks, they were celebrating a go-ahead basket. The Knights cheered on Bobillo’s bravery to stand under the basket in the pressure situation and try to draw a charge.

“It seemed like those few seconds took hours,” said CC junior Emily Denhart, who had 14 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Knights to a 49-47 victory in the J&C Hoops Classic consolation round Thursday evening. “We were excited and scared at the same time. No one knew what was going on, and when the call went in our favor, it was the best moment of the whole game.”

Freshman Cameron Onken hit 1 of 2 free throws afterward, and the Knights celebrated after McCutcheon was unable to get off a shot in the final 4.2 seconds, giving first-year head coach Craig DeVault his first victory.

“We had three chances to take the lead down one, and missed two or three right there in a row that we had good looks at,” said McCutcheon coach Jeff Knoy, who was undefeated in first-round games until Tuesday night. “You can’t go down to the last play. You have to make those two or three plays before that, and then it won’t come down to the last play and give the officials a chance to make that call.”

The Knights (1-2) snapped a five-game losing streak to McCutcheon. CC’s last win in the series came on Jan. 15, 2008.

Onken, who scored a game-high 16 points, missed a pair of free throws with 32.8 seconds left and the Knights leading 48-47, but made two with 1:40 to go to put CC up 48-44. Sydney Tracer’s three-point play on the other end cut the gap to one, but also accounted for McCutcheon’s final points.

Though only a freshman, Onken is relied on heavily as the CC point guard. She had a rough time in her first two varsity games, matched up with Logansport’s Whitney Jennings and Benton Central’s Caitlyn Tolen.

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“It is very nerve-wracking to be put on the line so many times, especially when the game is on the line too,” Onken said. “I told my coaches in the locker room that I was going to shoot 500 free throws before I left practice tomorrow to ensure I will make them.”

Alanna Roswarski almost joined Denhart with a double-double. Roswarski had 12 points and eight rebounds. Onken, Denhart and Roswarski accounted for 42 of CC’s 49 points. Bobillo had five and Emily Burks scored a rebound basket to beat the third-quarter buzzer.

Bailey Smith scored nine of her 11 points in the second quarter, leading McCutcheon. Tracer had nine points and six rebounds off the bench and Katee Kurtz provided six rebounds and four points, including a bucket to put the Mavericks up 37-36 early in the fourth quarter.

Lowery, the Mavericks’ returning leading scorer, was 2-for-10 shooting and finished with six points.

“Going against Whitney from Logan and Caitlyn Tolen from BC first, then to Kerstyn, and Kerstyn is a great player, but seeing them first really prepared us to go against her,” Denhart said.